NOAA Aurora Forecast Sunday Night: Severe Geomagnetic Storm
Current geomagnetic activity: Earth’s magnetic field is quiet at this writing (11 UTC April 21). As discussed above, a coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected later on today April 23 or 24. Active levels are anticipated for tonight with the arrival of a CME. Forecasters are calling for geomagnetic storming up to G2 (moderate) levels, beginning late on April 23, with a chance for a G3 (strong) late on April 24.
Sunday Evening April 23, 2023
This past Friday there was an eruption of energy, also Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from a solar storm that has been on a path towards Earth. With each update, the projections have shown this to possibly be a stronger event. As of this afternoon, NOAA has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for a Severe Storm. The indication is that there may be a visible aurora where the sky is clear farther south.
Fate is not without a twist of irony. It was exactly one month ago when a similar storm put on a display of the Northern Lights in Maryland and into the Carolinas. I’ll share some reindeer photos below.
What A G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Storm Means
According to NOAA Scales
Power systems: Possible widespread voltage control problems and some protective systems will mistakenly trip out key assets from the grid.
Spacecraft operations: May experience surface charging and tracking problems, corrections may be needed for orientation problems.
Other systems: Induced pipeline currents affect preventive measures, HF radio propagation sporadic, satellite navigation degraded for hours, low-frequency radio navigation disrupted, and aurora has been seen as low as Alabama and northern California. This is SOUTH of our Mid Atlantic
Solar Storm Watch WARNING: Geomagnetic Sudden Impulse Occurred & G4 Storm Predicted 4-23-23 – Tech Evaluate (https://techevaluate.com/solar-storm-watch-warning-geomagnetic-sudden-impulse-occurred-g4-storm-predicted-4-23-23/)
NOAA Aurora Forecast Sunday Night: Severe Geomagnetic Storm - Just In Weather (https://justinweather.com/2023/04/23/noaa-aurora-forecast-sunday-night-severe-geomagnetic-storm/)
Sun activity: CME arrival soon, G2 storms anticipated (https://earthsky.org/sun/sun-activity-solar-flare-cme-aurora-updates/)